Jericho
Joshua sends two spies to Jericho :Joshua 2:1-3 1 Then Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men out from Shit′tim+ as spies. He told them: “Go and inspect the land, especially Jer′i·cho.” So they went and came to the house of a prostitute named Ra′hab,+ and they stayed there. 2 The king of Jer′i·cho was told: “Look! Israelite men have come in here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 At that the king of Jer′i·cho sent word to Ra′hab: “Bring out the men who came and are staying in your house, for they have come to spy out the entire land.” Rahab hides the spies See also: Faith of Rahab :Joshua 2:4-7 4 But the woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said: “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And at dark when the city gate was about to be closed, the men went out. I do not know where the men went, but if you quickly chase after them, you will catch up with them.” 6 (However, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among stalks of flax laid in rows on the roof.) 7 So the men chased after them in the direction of the Jordan at the fords,+ and the city gate was shut once the pursuers had gone out. Promise to Rahab :Joshua 2:8-21 8 Before the men lay down to sleep, she came up to them on the roof. 9 She said to the men: “I do know that Jehovah will give you the land+ and that the fear of you has fallen upon us.+ All the inhabitants of the land are disheartened because of you,+ 10 for we heard how Jehovah dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt+ and what you did to the two kings of the Am′or·ites, Si′hon+ and Og,+ whom you devoted to destruction on the other side* of the Jordan. 11 When we heard about it, we lost heart,* and no one has any courage* because of you, for Jehovah your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.+ 12 Now, please, swear to me by Jehovah that, because I showed loyal love to you, you will also show loyal love to my father’s household; and you must give me a sign of good faith.* 13 You must spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and you must save us* from death.”+ 14 At that the men said to her: “We will give our lives for yours!* If you do not tell about our mission, then we will show loyal love and faithfulness toward you when Jehovah gives us the land.” 15 After that she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on a side of the city wall. In fact, she was dwelling on the wall.+ 16 Then she said to them: “Go to the mountainous region and hide there for three days, so that those pursuing you may not find you. Then, after your pursuers have come back, you can go on your way.” 17 The men said to her: “We will be free from guilt respecting this oath that you made us swear+ 18 unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window by which you let us down. You should gather your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household with you into the house.+ 19 Then if anyone goes out the doors of your house into the open, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be free from guilt. But if harm comes to* anyone who remains with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads. 20 But if you report our mission,+ we will be free from guilt respecting your oath that you made us swear.” 21 She replied: “Let it be according to your words.”With that she sent them off, and they went their way. Afterward, she tied the scarlet cord in the window. Spies return to Joshua :Joshua 2:22-24 22 So they left and went to the mountainous region and stayed there for three days, until the pursuers returned. The pursuers had been looking for them on every road but did not find them. 23 The two men then descended from the mountainous region and crossed the river and came to Joshua the son of Nun. They related to him all the things that had happened to them. 24 Then they said to Joshua: “Jehovah has handed over the entire land to us.+ In fact, all the inhabitants of the land are disheartened because of us.”+ Jericho devoted to destruction :Joshua 6:1-21 1 Now Jer′i·cho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites; no one was leaving and no one was entering.+ 2 Jehovah then said to Joshua: “See, I have handed over to you Jer′i·cho and its king and its mighty warriors.+ 3 All you fighting men should march around the city, going around the city once. That is what you should do for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry seven ram’s horns before the Ark. But on the seventh day, you should march around the city seven times and the priests should blow the horns.+ 5 When the ram’s horn is sounded—as soon as you hear the sound* of the horn—all the people should shout a great war cry. Then the wall of the city will fall down flat,+ and the people must go up, each one straight ahead.” 6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests together and told them: “Take up the ark of the covenant, and seven priests should carry seven ram’s horns before the Ark of Jehovah.”+ 7 Then he told the people: “Move on and march around the city, and the armed troops+ should go ahead of the Ark of Jehovah.” 8 And just as Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying seven ram’s horns before Jehovah went forward and blew the horns, and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah was following them. 9 And the armed troops went ahead of the priests who were blowing the horns, and the rear guard followed the Ark as the horns were blown continuously. 10 Now Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not shout nor let your voices be heard. Not a word should come out of your mouths until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then shout.” 11 He had the Ark of Jehovah go around the city, going around it once, after which they returned to the camp and spent the night there. 12 The next morning Joshua got up early, and the priests took up the Ark+ of Jehovah, 13 and seven priests carrying seven ram’s horns walked before the Ark of Jehovah, continuously blowing the horns. The armed troops were walking ahead of them while the rear guard was following the Ark of Jehovah as the horns were blown continuously. 14 They marched around the city on the second day once, after which they returned to the camp. That was what they did for six days.+ 15 On the seventh day they got up early, as soon as the dawn broke, and they marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times.+ 16 And on the seventh time, the priests blew the horns, and Joshua told the people: “Shout,+ for Jehovah has given you the city! 17 The city and everything in it is to be devoted to destruction;+ it all belongs to Jehovah. Only Ra′hab+ the prostitute may keep living, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers we sent out.+ 18 But keep away from what is devoted to destruction,+ so that you do not desire something devoted to destruction and take it,+ making the camp of Israel something devoted to destruction by bringing disaster* on it.+ 19 But all the silver and the gold and the articles of copper and iron are holy to Jehovah.+ They should go into the treasury of Jehovah.”+ 20 Then the people shouted when the horns were blown.+ As soon as the people heard the sound of the horn and shouted a great war cry, the wall fell down flat.+ After that the people went up into the city, each one straight ahead, and they captured the city. 21 They devoted all that was in the city to destruction by the sword, man and woman, young and old, bull, sheep, and donkey.+ Rahab and her family spared :Joshua 6:22-27 22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land: “Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all who belong to her, just as you swore to her.”+ 23 So the young spies went in and brought out Ra′hab, along with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all who belonged to her; yes, they brought out her whole family,+ and they brought them safely to a place outside the camp of Israel. 24 Then they burned the city and everything in it with fire. But the silver, the gold, and the articles of copper and iron, they gave to the treasury of Jehovah’s house.+ 25 Only Ra′hab the prostitute and her father’s household and all who belonged to her were spared by Joshua;+ and she lives in Israel to this day,+ because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent out to spy on Jer′i·cho.+ 26 At that time Joshua pronounced this oath:* “Cursed be the man before Jehovah who undertakes to rebuild this city of Jer′i·cho. At the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest he will put up its doors.”+ 27 So Jehovah was with Joshua,+ and his fame spread through all the earth. See also * Faith of Joshua and Rahab This story is part of the: Abrahamic Covenant Narratives Category:Abrahamic Covenant Narratives